Current situation

Currently, 37 states, and Washington DC, have legalized same- sex marriage. That covers a majority of the US population. DC sets its own marriage law, because its not legally a state.

26 out of 37 states approved same-sex marriage by court decision

Alabama (Feb. 9, 2015)
Alaska (Oct. 17, 2014)
Arizona (Oct. 17, 2014)
California (June 28, 2013)
Colorado (Oct. 7, 2014)
Connecticut (Nov. 12, 2008)
Florida (Jan. 6, 2015)
Idaho (Oct. 13, 2014)
Indiana (Oct. 6, 2014)

Iowa (Apr. 24, 2009)

Kansas (Nov. 12, 2014)

Massachusetts (May 17, 2004)

Montana (Nov. 19, 2014)

Nevada (Oct. 9, 2014)

New Jersey (Oct. 21, 2013)

New Mexico (Dec. 19, 2013)

North Carolina (Oct. 10, 2014)

Oklahoma (Oct. 6, 2014)

Oregon (May 19, 2014)

Pennsylvania (May 20, 2014)

South Carolina (Nov. 20, 2014)

Utah (Oct. 6, 2014)

Virginia (Oct. 6, 2014)

West Virginia (Oct. 9, 2014)

Wisconsin (Oct. 6, 2014)

Wyoming (Oct. 21, 2014

8 states legalized it by state legislature

Delaware (July 1, 2013),

Hawaii (Dec. 2, 2013),

Illinois (June 1, 2014),

Minnesota (Aug. 1, 2013),

New Hampshire (Jan. 1, 2010),

New York (July 24, 2011),

Rhode Island (Aug. 1, 2013),

Vermont (Sep. 1, 2009)

3 did it by state vote

Maine (Dec. 29, 2012),

Maryland (Jan. 1, 2013),

Washington (Dec. 9, 2012)

·          13 states still ban the same-sex marriage.

·        12 do this by the constitutional Amendment and the state law

Arkansas (2004, 1997)

Georgia (2004, 1996)

Kentucky (2004, 1998)

Louisiana (2004, 1999)

Michigan (2004, 1996)

Mississippi (2004, 1997)

Missouri (2004, 1996) 

North Dakota (2004, 1997)

Ohio (2004, 2004)

South Dakota (2006, 1996)

Tennessee (2006, 1996)

Texas (2005, 1997)

 Nebraska in 2000 is the only state which bans it by constitutional Amendment only. 

      8 states where gay marriage bans have been overturned, but where appeals are in progress 

     Arkansas

Kentucky

Michigan

Mississippi

Missouri

Nebraska

South Dakota

Texas

Colorado  is the only state to allow civil unions but not marriage between same-sex couples.

Since gay marriage is now legal in 37 states, should they be allowed to marry nationwide? This is a question/ debate Maria Coyle from the national law journal 

 talks about in this video.

In 2012 the hip hop duo Macklemore and Ryan Lewis released a song on that theme, it is named” Same Love”. The track talks about the issue of gay and lesbian rights and was recorded during the campaign for Washington Referendum 74, which legalized same-sex marriage in Washington State in 2012. The song was nominated  at the 56^th Annual Grammy Awards for the Song of the year.

I hope todays post gave you a good overview about the beginnings of the debate and about the current situation of the same-sex marriage. Let´s  see what happens next according on that subject and if one day it will become legal all over the United States.

Sources:

http://gaymarriage.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=004857

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQGMTPab9GQ

https://www.dosomething.org/facts/11-facts-about-gay-rights

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Same-sex_marriage_in_the_United_States

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Same_Love

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkRaIrTaXho

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-21943292